#flat beaker didnt say a word

[krawdad]

oh beaker is super dead

[hermannsgayhands]

does hermanns cane have like...some kind of sentimental significance because i realized its just the solid wood kind without anything on the handle and those are Not comfortable for regular/longterm use. my first cane had a wooden handle and my hand got so sore even just going out a couple times a day (so probably not even as much as he would be using it in any given day bc its not like hes working from one single desk in the lab, theres a lot of standing and walking) and he rly seems like the kinda guy to care about functionality

(i know Realistically it was probably just that the costume department probably doesnt have a lot of cane users to be able to know this from personal experience But Obviously Im Going To Fixate On This and if ppl r gonna piece together explanations for massive plot inconsistencies i can let myself have this lol)

i Also know the kinda-sorta-canon-but-its-not-really-canon-canon reason for him using a cane is bc he was in the wrong place at the wrong time during a kaiju attack and it fucked up his hip but uh. my city now so I Propose:

needing a mobility aid when youre not old enough for it to be expected (so basically anywhere younger than Really Old) gets a lot of...attention...and its not usually positive, even if its not overtly negative its usually kind of just. weird and uncomfortable. people dont really know what to do with it and it gets awkward

and hermann was so much younger than everyone he would be spending most of his time around starting at such a young age, he was already set apart, he wasnt on equal social footing with his peers however much he was their equal (and then some, a lot of the time) intellectually and academically. even when people were nice and friendly and welcoming, there was always going to be that imbalance, because hes just a kid, hes just a teenager, hes just

and he tries not to Cave, because thats what he tells himself it is, rather than not wanting to be seen as even more different than he already is, because he thinks thats vanity, and he isnt vain. its something he can power through until he cant, and hes in labs staring at the clock with twenty minutes to go counting down the seconds until he can sit down and do something about his legs screaming at him to stop and taking all of his focus away from what hes trying to do, and twenty minutes turns into thirty, and forty, and eventually he starts dreading sitting down just because it means hes going to have to stand up again, but he can push through it, he keeps telling himself he can, until the room goes silent at the shattering of a beaker hitting the floor, and he realizes its coming from him

he usually works on assignments in the waiting room before physical therapy, but he cant put any pressure on his legs that time, even the thinnest binder he has too heavy to write on

and the physical therapist gives him a cane.

it looks like he came out of a hospital with it; at first he likes that, because its no-nonsense and simple, until everyone thinks it is from a hospital, and he has to explain no, its not, i didnt hurt myself, this isnt an injury, i know, im not actually too young for this to happen, thats not how this works—

arent you a little young for that was something he was used to hearing, but all the other times, he had been able to prove them wrong and impress. even after rattling off his conditions—he shouldnt have to, its not their business, he just wants to be able to walk, but they dont stop asking, they dont stop looking—theres nothing impressive about that, no satisfaction in proving them wrong.

he has one professor who uses a cane; shes old and withered like a tree that looks like it could break in the wind but thats been there for decades without falling, smoothly going from standing to sitting without enough of a break to it for anyone to take much notice, but hermann does, now

she gets tense, her breathing a little heavier, and she directs a wheely desk chair to where she needs it to be before smoothly sitting down without a break in her sentence. hes seen old faculty pictures of her, old enough that she wasnt yet, the same heavy wooden cane in her hand in each one even when her hair was still brown.

she knows what shes doing.

she makes eye contact with him on his way in the first day he uses the plain gray cane, just for a second, a second longer than she normally did, and she doesnt say anything that she wouldnt normally, the first person whose tone didnt change even a little when she called on him.

the staring and the questioning makes his chest twist a little less for the rest of the day.

his shoulder is killing him, though, his back below his shoulderblade a constant twinge that gets worse throughout the day the longer he stands, worse on lab days when he cant sit down much.

hes trying to reach that one spot with his fingers when the professor makes eye contact again.

she waves him over at the end with a question about a paper he had turned in a couple days before, but the question was such a simple clarification that hes sure it has to be something else—

“thats too tall for you,” she says, gesturing with her cane towards his. “stand up.”

he does.

“no, relax your shoulders, like you normally stand.”

he does.

she holds her hand flat with the side at his hip and scoots her chair forward, looking between the cane and hermann with slightly raised eyebrows, and he nods.

she clicks the little button on the side, twisting the two pieces until it lowers to the next notch.

“see how that feels,” she says, “itll wreck your back if its too high up.”

his back doesnt hurt after that, from an adjustment of just an inch and one look at him rubbing at his shoulder, not even asking why he uses it in the first place.

she knows what shes doing.

its more than that, hermann realizes, the more he watches and the more he picks up on from personal experience. she can command a room with it, walking with such purpose, even limping, her chin high and the rubber tip hitting the ground at the exact right moment for the exact right emphasis.

hes reluctant to use the word inspiring after the way hes heard it used about him, people like him, just doing what they need to do, but he holds his head higher, and eventually hes not just pretending that the twisting feeling in his chest from the feeling of eyes on the back of his head isnt there anymore, at least most of the time.

it feels like a wall thats been put up, but it feels safe, and he decides he would rather push someone away by not putting up with that sick-sweet way people started talking to him once he started using the cane than let them pretend they were being kind.

he was already plenty used to being coddled and talked down to and patronized for assumptions made based on his appearance; he knows it when he hears it, and hes hearing it loud and clear. if he couldnt prove them wrong and impress, he could at least keep that sick-sweet tone from sticking to his skin the way it used to, always leaving him feeling like he needed a shower.

it still doesnt stop all the questions.

its the end of the year when hes started looking at canes online.

he cant find any that he likes, partly because he feels like he shouldnt like it; its a piece of equipment, something to get around, and he had never put much thought into what his shoes looked like, so it doesnt feel like he should be so stuck on what his cane would look like.

his mind is made up for him when he comes in for his last lecture with the professor like an old tree, and she has a different cane.

he recognizes the brand from the google searches; its fiberglass, light and strong and expensive, matches the pale blue of her glasses, and he finds himself almost disappointed not to see the wooden one, attached to it even though it wasnt his own.

she waves him over at the end with a question about a paper.

all of his papers had already been plugged into his grades.

he doesnt know why his heart is thudding against his ribs when she pulls out something long and wrapped in newspaper from under her desk.

she had it shaved down to the right height, she tells him—its old, it wasnt made to be adjustable, and she says it like an apology, but hermanns eyes are stinging as he pulls apart the newspaper, a new rubber tip attached to the bottom, the handle still worn down in a couple places, and the cane that looks like it came from a hospital stays in the back of his closet after that.

[kaywritesthings]

Bruce: Bruce was, more or less, glad to be back on Earth.  It wasn't something he anticipated every happening- in fact after becoming the Hulk on Asgard, he thought that was it for him, and he's just be this monster forever.  Being back, and being himself- almost exclusively it seemed, for all that the Hulk had disappeared.  He busied himself in some of Tony's old labs, trying to figure out something, or anything to help.   He didn't know how to exist in this world anymore, and found himself in some ways, longing for the ease of life back on Sakkar, where he was trapped but knew how to live in a way he didn't here.  Bruce found he missed her too, though he didn't really know her in the way the Hulk had.  He had no idea what had happened to the Valkyrie after he'd been sent to earth, or if she was among the deaths or disappeared.  There was no way to know either, so he bent himself to his work and tried not to think about it.

Valkyrie joined the chat

Valkyrie: She didnt understand Earth, no not really. No one had real order in this city of New York. Not that Sakkar had much law, but it had fear. People here mocked their leadership. Which to her looked weak. People were not allowed to scream at other people, for it was rude.. There was no killing either. She longed for some comfort of sorts, and found herself where that Thor god was. She still was a bit bitter towards him for her people, but she was warming up. He was not like his sister. She went into the facility, she didnt know anyone and found herself in a lab. She picked up bottles and for fun tossed them against the wall. She had rage in her, that was not welcome here on Earth. She saw someone sitting at a table. "You there." She said. "bruce is it?" She said. "Remember me? From Sakkar.. They put me in fleece fabric so you might not remember."

Bruce: Bruce had been bent over one of Tony's more intuitive flat paneled screens, flipping through diagrams and trying to deconstrcut what he knew about infinty stones as if that would be of any help without any actual stones to study.  But he felt like he had to do something.  He was startled when he heard another voice and his eyes wided when he saw who it belonged to.  "Wow.  It's you," he said and had to work hard not to try and stumble over his words.  Valkyrie was like the kind of warrior woman you read about in comic books- beautiful, strong, could kill you with a look if she wanted- and he still had a hard time believing that they existed.  "Of course I remember you," Bruce said, anxiously adjusting his glasses.  "I thought we'd lost you back on the ship.  When Thanos and his men attacked."

Valkyrie: "You did for a bit" She said and jumped on the counter. She sat there looking over his work. Those eyes were so familiar. "But I am not that easy to kill." She chuckled picking up his reasearch paper and looking it over. "What are you doing?" She asked. She set the book down, feeling sad for all she had to leave behind. "This is where you and hulk are from ?Newest York?" She said, looking at him. She had heard the hulk was afraid. She had alwasy been there to comfort him in time of uncertainty.

Bruce: Bruce did love the easy way that Valkyrie moved, taking ownership over every space she was in.  Evenif a small part of him wanted to reach out and make sure she didn't knock sensitive equipment off of the table.  He leaned around her and straightened a beaker that was in danger of falling.  "No, no, you wouldn't be," he said and choked a little, looking up into Val's eyes for a moment before looking away.  "But yes, this is where we're from.  Me, now mostly.  The Hulk won't come.  I think he's happy you're here though," Bruce said.  "From waht I can tell."

Valkyrie: She smiled and looked into bruces eyes. "Hey Hulk!" She said and waved. She put her hand on Bruce's arm. "I miss you big boy!" She said. She had taught hulk how to speak better and to read.. She had been his care taker and loved every moment with him. When he wasnt made to kill, he was playful and fun. "Give him time, he'll come around. I believe in you" she said into Bruces eyes. "Can he hear me?"

Bruce: Bruce let out a surprised laugh when Valkrie waved at him like that and ducked his head.  "I know it's weird to say, but I miss him too.  I could have used his help." He looked Valkyrie over and sighed, just a little.  "I know I don't really know you, but he does.  So well.  It feels like I know you."  He pursed his lips.  "He's not talking much, he's still...scared I think.  But I feel warmth from him.  His own kind of happiness."

Valkyrie: She smiled an lean over to kiss his cheek. Giving it to the hulk. She touched his cheek. He still felt like the hulk was here with him seeing bruce. "I'm starving." She said and jumped off the counter. "What does bruce eat?" She asked.

Bruce: Bruce flsuhed when Val kissed his cheek and felt himself stuttering over his next few words.  "I...uh...is that how it was with you two?" he asked, still trying to peice some things together.  He pushed back from the lab table.  "I can show you the kitchen, Bruce eats what most humans do.  How does pizza sound? I have some leftover."

Valkyrie: "We were close, not like that." She teased. "He isn't sexual if that's what you wonder. At least not with me. He loved me like a mother i think." She said. "But maybe... you dont see me as one?" She laughed. "Pee sha? That is food? I want to try it, it cant be that bad if you like it, right?"

Bruce: Bruce flushed brightly and laughed, then shook his head.  "No, no, I didn't mean like that," he said.  "I meant more like...romantic.  Not sexual," he said and then flushed even considering it.  "A mother?  No," Bruce said and laughed, leading the way to the kitchen. "No, deifnitely not.  You're...gorgeous and fierce and there is nothing motherly in what I'm thinking," he babbled and busied himself pulling out the pizza.  "Yes, it's bread and cheese and tomato sauce and like five different kinds of meat.  You'll like it.  I'm sure," he said handing her a slice.

Valkyrie: "Sounds interesting. Are you ok" She teased, she seemed to notice he was nervous. A rapid heart beat. "Tah tah tah, calm down my friend." She rubbed his head the way she rubbed Hulks when he was getting frustrated. "We need to think of fishes, red fish, blue fish, angel fish." She said. "Sorry it use to work on hulk." She teased. "can i help prepare the pizza?" She asked. "What calms you down, Banner, what does banner love to do?" She asked

Bruce: Bruce gave Valkyrie a slightly confused look and then swallowed hard when she started to rub his head.  "I'm calm," he said which was a very big lie.  "You're just a very beautiful woman, and they don't usually touch me.  Ever," Bruce said and smiled just a little.  "It's perpared," he said, "thats kind of the beauty of it," he said and offered her a slice.  "It's cold, but some people think it's better that way."  He smirked.  "I like..uh..science.  Equations.  Research.  I'm really kind of boring compared to my counterpart."

Valkyrie: "You arent boring. You have PhDs." She said. "And I think you are cute. I usually like women. If you want to join me with women one day, that's ok. I think it's call a threesome." She smiled and pet his cheek innocently. "I like research too."She said. "This place, this earth, its more peaceful but more dumb, minus you. Your leader, trump? Hes not so good?"

Bruce: Bruce laughed a little, looking Valkyrie over.  "Do you even know what a PhD is?" he asked, lifting an amaused eyebrow.  "I uh. Well." Bruce said, not sure what to do with that invitation.  "I've heard of them, yes," he said and binked, trying to wrap his head around that.  Natasha being involved was the first thing that came to mind and it just made him flush more.  "It's not always peaceful here.  I promise that.  And don't even get me started on that."

Valkyrie: She laughed when his cheeks were pink and not green. "Bruce." She wondered why he was so lonely. Sometimes the hulk expressed feeling lonely. She took the pizza and held it to her lips. She took  a bit and let out a hapy moan. "It taste so different, texture so soft and spices so blended! It's better tan a bug!" She said. "What do you think of piza"

Bruce: Bruce felt like Val was trying to kill him here, with her little sounds, that moan, and the way she was so open to touch him.  Most people avoided getting close to him, and he avoided getting close to them.  He smiled though and took a bite of his own pizza.  "This is pretty much earth's delicacy," he said and smirked.  "It's one of the few things I really missed from here."  He took another bite and winked at her. "How did you even make your way here?  Why did you come?"

Valkyrie: "I dont know. I just landed here. Tony brought me in. " She ate the pizza quickly and grabbed another slice. It was delicious. She licked each one of her fingers. She loved how the cheese stretched. She giggled and held up a pepporoni. "Everything on this piza is already dead, it makes it easy to digest." She said. "Did you like our space food? I think I heard you SCREAM when you ate the squidish pasta."

Bruce: "So you've met Tony," Bruce said and smirked.  "That must have been fun for you," he said and watched as Val licked her fingers, feeling that almost phantom but very real part of him that was still a man react.   "Yeah, you'll find that about earth.  We like our food to be dead when we eat it," he teased lightly.  "I uh.  I'm glad that my food doesn't wiggle at me here."

Valkyrie: "Yeah, it can be a bit of a pain when yo uhave to fight your food in your mouth." She said with a laugh. she ate anotehr slice and then some of Bruces because he looked done. She downed a coke too. "Thsi food is good." she wa suse to eating a lot with Hulk.They both put it away. "do you have a partner?" She asked. "Hulk said you might be into iron man ." She blinked. Hulk sometimes tried to tell jokes, sometimes.. But they could sound like reality.

Bruce: Bruce laughed softly and went to the bar.  "I think you're probably an alcoholic to rival Tony, but I don't think there's any harm in having some," he said, reaching out to grab a bottle and poure them both a glass.  "A partner?" He laughed when Val mentioned Tony and shook his head.  "In the lab, sure, but not like that," he said and cleared his throat awkwardly.  "I'm not really.  Attached to anyone like that."

[raychulemma]

50 Completely Random Questions People Rarely Ask Tag:

1. What’s your favorite candle scent? Red Apple Wreath - Yankee Candle. It's perfectly Autumnal and always goes on half price sale after Christmas. I have far too many versions of it

2. What female celebrity do you wish you were related to? Probably Maya Rudolph because she's a shameless weirdo like me

3. What male celebrity do you wish was your brother? Probably Peter Kay. I feel like he would be easy to open up to. And he would make awkward family events so much more bearable

4. What’s your favorite thing about marriage? (And if you’re not married, what’s your favorite thing about being single?) Security. Safety. I didn't expect it to feel any different because we had been living together for a while but something about the actual marriage made me feel protected and comfortable. Also because its a same-sex marriage it's a lot nicer to say my wife than my fiancée, because i would wonder if they assume my fiancée is male

5. What’s one thing you own that you should probably get rid of, but just can’t? Books that I'm not going to re-read but have memories linked to buying/receiving/reading them.

6. Can you do a split? not a chance

7. How old were you when you learned how to ride a bike? Seven. i learnt at the end of my road because it's a dead end. and i got a green bike for my birthday with a seat for my teddy

8. How many oceans have you swam in? just the Atlantic ocean 🌊

9. How many countries have you been to? 6. France, Spain, Germany, USA (Florida), Wales, Scotland.

10. Is anyone in your family in the army? No, my Grandad was, and some of my Great Uncles but no one during my lifetime

11. What was your favorite TV show when you were a child? Superted, Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, The Story of Tracy Beaker, Dick n Dom in da Bungalow, Jungle Run

12. What did you dress up as on Halloween when you were eight? A classy binbag witch

13. Have you read any of the Harry Potter, Hunger Games or Twilight series? I got into the Harry Potter books in 1998 and am still in love with the series. I went to the midnight release for the last book. I watched all of the films in the opening week and vividly remember that the cinema i saw the first film at in 2001 had a Harry Potter themed sweet shop. I have jewellery, clothing, books, dvds, wands, other collectibles. I read the books with my mum when i was younger and watched all of the films in the cinema with her. she had her own HP merch. My wife also loves Harry Potter. We have been to see Cursed Child twice and have been to the Studio Tour 3 (or 4?) times. We had a Harry Potter themed wedding which was absolutely perfect. Hunger Games was something i avoided reading until the first film was coming out, and then absolutely loved the first 2 books (3rd one got too political for me) and the films are still some of my favourites for costume and set design. I read the twilight books after my best friend recommended them to me. We all actually read them as part of our sisterhood club. I went to blackpool to watch the first film in the cinema with my best friend. I watched the last one at midnight with my wife and one of the girls from the sisterhood who is one of the biggest twilight fans i know still. she has behind the scenes books and dvds and has re read the books that much that the spines are just gone. my mum was also a big twilight fan and would watch them any time they were on tv. i watched a few at the cinema with her, always her choice. she hadnt seen hunger games at the time of them being released but we did watch them all with her a few years ago

14. Would you rather have an American accent or a British accent? i film YouTube videos and always think my accent would be more interesting if it was American

15. Have you ever taken karate lessons? no, my 2 brothers and sister did when i was 5 or 6. i didnt like being touched so never did it

16. Do you know who Kermit the frog is? yup

17. What’s the first amusement park you’ve been to? im going to guess Gullivers world Warrington because its the closest one to where i live

18. What language, besides your native language, would you like to be fluent in? French because I love disneyland paris. or japanese because i would love to visit tokyo but its way out of my comfort zone

19. Do you spell the color as grey or gray? grey. e for england, a for america

20. Do you know triplets? yes, 2 girls and a boy but i only met the girls

21. Do you prefer Titanic or The Notebook? Titanic. my mum was a massive fan. She watched it 3 times in the cinema when it first came out. we watched it with her when it was released in imax on an anniversary. she had behind the scenes books, a few versions of the vhs and dvds, playing cards. her love for it made me love it

22. Have you ever had Indian food? no im a very fussy eater and have never tried indian or Chinese

23. What’s the name of your favorite restaurant? Of all time? Tough choice but im going with pizza hut. Cheesy bites base with double mushroom. Never craved something more

24. Have you ever been to Olive Garden? they dont have it in England so no but i would probably like it

25. What would your parents have named you if you were the opposite gender? i have no idea, maybe jason after my dad?

26. If you have a nickname, what is it? rach, chicken, chickadee

27. Who’s your favorite person in the world? i want to say scruff but shes technically not a person. kirsty is my best friend and i would pick her every time

28. Would you rather live in a rural area or in the suburbs? where i live is in between. drive one way and its city, the other way is farms. so living in one ot those farmhouses not far from city life would be the dream. i would have chickens, sheep and cats.

29. Can you whistle? yep but my cats hate the noise

30. Do you sleep with a nightlight? i can see the hallway light from where our bed is so i dont generally need a nightlight but we do have cute ones. i have 3 HP ones on my bedside table

31. Do you eat breakfast every morning? yea as long as i have time

32. How many times have you been to the hospital? ive only ever been to a&e. once for palpitations, a few times for mental health and once for an x ray on my hand. ive been to walk in centres for urine/kidney infections and for fractured fingers. oh i did go to hospital to see a neurologist to be diagnosed with essential tremor

33. Have you ever seen Finding Nemo? yes i love it. my brother and sister both bought me the dvd for christmas the year it came out so i had 2 copies for a while. i also had the game for pc and ps2. and i had a game on my phone and ipad where you could build up the seabed and gain fish. the film is just so nice and calming to watch. the scenery, the sound effects, the movements are all just gently flowing. and somehow you get attached to these characters and root for them whether youre a fan of tropical fish or not.

34. Where do you buy your jeans? primark, next, sainsburys, asda

35. What’s the last compliment you got? kirsty said my eyelashes look like im wearing mascara when im not

36. Do you usually remember your dreams in the morning? yea and they're weird as fuck. the latest one was about the bath being clogged with poo

37. Favorite beverage that isn’t water? Tea ☕

38. How many pairs of shoes do you currently own? a disgusting amount. maybe 20. maybe more

39. How old were you when you found out that Santa wasn’t real? about 8 which I think wasnt too young or too old. my brother told me which I was glad about because i was prone to being bullied at school and would have hated to be told by nasty kids

40. What is one food that you used to hate but now you love? cheesy garlic bread WTF

41. What is a weird lie you’ve told? i told kirsty once that i had pood the bed and asked her to help me clean it.

42. Heels or flats? flats always. specifically trainers. i think dresses look so much cuter with trainers. same with suits

43. Do you have any weird phobias? no just common ones. moths, spiders, flying insects, beetles, heights, being completely isolated, finding a dead person

44. What is a phrase or word you always say? i cant actually think of a current phrase i say but i do get stuck on phrases

45. What is a song that you bast or belt out when you are alone? part of your world, let it go, bridge over troubled water, over the rainbow. any that i try to actually hit the notes on

46. What is one of your biggest pet peeves? nails. nails tapping, and the sound of cutting or biting nails. or people that stop in the middle of an aisle or walkway when you're trying to get past

47. Do you sleep with your closet door open or closed? they dont even have doors on yet so open

48. Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of bees? bear. the noise of bees terrifies me. i had a flying ant in my hair on flying ant day but i didnt know. i heard it buzz and cried

49. Do you have any weird things you do? i cant have 2 cream biscuits together (custard cream and jam n cream). i sometimes say hi to my teddies so they know i havent forgot about them. i buy hatchimals when theyre on sale even though i havent previously collected them cos im an impulsive pos. (honestly collecting animal jam figures and my little ponies were the best though)

50. What movie could you watch over and over again and still love? any of the harry potter films, titanic, sisterhood of the travelling pants, Princess diaries 1 and 2, enchanted, princess and the frog, raise your voice, catch me if you can, chalet girl, the shining, slumdog millionaire